To ensure that we could have a relaxing trip without the need to plan anything (planning the wedding was already exhausting enough!), we booked a Switzerland-Italy tour with a tour agency that is no longer in operation (though I'm still friends with our tour guide on Facebook; power of social media 😀).
We spent the first half of our honeymoon exploring the very scenic and beautiful Switzerland, one of my favourite countries in the world to visit.
I realised I never did a follow up on the next half of our honeymoon where we explored the historical Italy!
The cathedral was really unique and lots of intricate details were added as you can see!
Florence (Firenze), Tuscany
Life is good! 😊
The scenery was so beautiful! Definitely one of the reasons to visit Italy!
I realised I never did a follow up on the next half of our honeymoon where we explored the historical Italy!
Milan (Milano)
We left the fresh air of Zermatt in Switzerland, home of the Matterhorn, and travelled to our first Italian city, Milan, the fashion capital of Italy.
We visited the Castello Sforzesco (the brown building in the picture below) but to be honest, I had no idea what it was or its significance because we were so young and not as well-informed as we are now. Nevertheless, it was a really beautiful place.
My most vivid memory from Milan is buying my first ever luxury bag from a Gucci store in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, the MBS of Milan 😊
I still have the Gucci bag I bought till this day; it's one of my very treasured bags 😍
Be sure to try to spot Leonardo Da Vinci Statue in the vicinity, yet another prominent landmark in Milan 😊
Leonardo Da Vinci was part of the team that designed the famous Cathedral Duomo di Milan, the white gothic-style cathedral in the picture below.
The cathedral was really unique and lots of intricate details were added as you can see!
Venice (Venezia)
The next morning, we headed to Venice! You definitely cannot go to Italy without visiting Venice, the only city in the world built on water.
We took a boat ride that brought us around the city so we could see it in a different light.
We passed by the famous canals and the Bridge of Sighs, the white bridge in the picture below surrounded by loads of advertisements at that time due to renovation work.
This picturesque sight (sans the adverts!) was what we came to Venice to see! Super beautiful!
One also should not miss visiting the Piazza San Marco and St Mark's Basilica, the other equally famous Venetian landmarks.
Loving the beautiful architecture and soaking up the energy of the crowd!
Our tour guide brought us to a Glass Blowing Factory where we got to watch a demonstration of how they made their glassware.
I almost bought an Hermes wallet but decided against it as I found it 'pricey' (it was about SGD500 then, which was pretty pricey when you're broke)! On hindsight, I should have gotten it because the price of Hermes has gone up by so much!! Anyway, we bought souvenirs instead, the typical touristy thing to do 😅
Although we really love the glass pieces, we were simply too broke to have afforded them. Instead, we decided to wander around Venice and take more photos of the area.
Florence (Firenze), Tuscany
The next day we travelled to Florence, the capital of Tuscany, a region in Italy. Florence is considered to be the birthplace of Pinocchio!
We visited the Santa Maria del Fiore, yet another cathedral, this time with an iconic gold door.
We also explored the streets of discovered many canals and statues.
Look at us, so young and carefree (but broke 😅)! And admiring the 'rolling hills' of Tuscany!
We also stopped by the very famous Statue of David by Michelangelo.
We ended the night with a Tuscany dinner.
Life is good! 😊
Pisa, Tuscany
The next day we visited another very famous landmark located in Tuscany, the Leaning Tower of Pisa!
The actual building itself is smaller than expected but well it's a big tick on my bucket list! 😁
Siena, Tuscany
We visited Siena next and at the time, I have never heard of Siena to be honest. We visited the Cathedral of Siena, which to amateurs like us look to be similar in style to all the other cathedrals in Italy.
We also spent time exploring Piazza del Campo, the most iconic location in Siena.
Rome (Roma)
The last place we visited was Rome, the home of the Vatican City. A local tour guide brought us around and introduced us to the different landmarks in Vatican City. Of course, you can't go to Vatican City without visiting St. Peter's Square!
Some key landmarks to look out for include the Basilica di San Pietro aka St Peter's Basilica, which was built by architects including Michangelo, and Obelisco di Piazza San Pietro (the obelisk below).
We also walked to the Arch of Constantine, a triumphant arch dedicated to Emperor Constantine the Great (of course I googled this, I'm not a walking history book!).
And last but definitely not least, you can't go to Rome and not visit the Colosseum!
Oh yes, and the Fountain of Trevi!
It looks nicer in the pictures than in person but it's a must-visit at least once in your lifetime to tick off your bucket list! :)
Finally, we ended the day with some free time at the shopping streets near the Spanish Steps.
Of course, I had to buy my first LV bag from their store in Rome! It was a Louis Vuitton Speedy 25 at just S$800+! You can't buy a speedy at this price anymore! I use it all the time and to this day, it is one of my favourite bags of all time!
That was such a memorable honeymoon for us! Really can't wait to travel to Europe again! :D
You can also follow my travel adventures on Instagram via the hashtag #madpsychmumtravels! =)
